The present invention relates to a can for beverages, i.e. a container of a material suitable for food use within which the beverages are sealed for preservation and large scale distribution to the final consumer, which, besides performing said preservation and large scale distribution function for the foods contained therein, enables an extracted and/or infused beverage to be produced at the moment of use by the said can, the thus formed beverage collecting within a cavity in the interior of the can, to be consumed directly from it.
It has been statistically shown that coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, a coffee beverage being that beverage formed when ground coffee transfers to hot water the soluble and aromatic substances contained therein, both by the effect of extraction when the water heated to a temperature close to its boiling point is passed through the ground coffee, and by infusion when a certain quantity of ground coffee is left for some minutes in water at a temperature close to its boiling point.
In public premises such as hotels, cafeterias, refreshment rooms (for example in offices and stations), this beverage is commonly produced by equipment of considerable size, known as “coffee machines” which require the presence of an operator.
In private houses this beverage is commonly prepared using equipment known as “coffee pots”, composed of relative parts; when required, the consumer fills the appropriate parts with tap water and coffee powder, then assembles the parts, places the combination on a source of heat, awaits the formation of the coffee beverage and pours it into cups, finally separating the pieces of the combination and cleaning them to enable another beverage to be prepared. Numerous small coffee machine are also available for household use, these reproducing on a small scale the coffee machines of public premises.
For many years the need has been felt by the consumer to be able to obtain the beverage when required, even if he has no coffee pot or large or small coffee machine available; this happens mostly when the consumer is far from home, for example while travelling, when practising sports, or when far from inhabited centres.